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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. kick — in football
  3. last — final
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — of water
  6. rest — a break
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bulb — for light
  9. last — to go on
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bulb — for light
  12. kid — child
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — to tease
  17. press — a publisher
  18. deal — to handle
  19. last — finally
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. rest — what's left
  22. spring — a coil
  23. press — to push
  24. kick — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com